Instructions: This is a relatively simple one. From the picture in the book, the lobsters are Australian rock lobsters or spiney lobsters. Theyre much smaller that our Maine lobsters. This probably fits the bill for the "New" Hong Kong cuisine in that it uses butter and milk. Id think this would probably be quite good made with Dungeness crab as well as lobster. Establishment: The Regent Hotel (Hong Kong)

Salisbury Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon.

Chef: Chinese Cuisine Practical Class Platinum Award Seafood STUFFED LOBSTER TAILS (12 servings) Chef: Ip Wah (The Regent Hotel)

The literal translation, "Healthy and Spirited Dragon and Horse"

cannot convey the symbolic values of the poetically rhyming Chinese characters. In the Cantonese dialect, a lobster is a "dragon shrimp" and the word for "horse" sounds similar to part of "water chestnut".

Both creatures summon up images of power, stamina, elegance and other desired virtues.

To prepare: 1. Soak and wash dried scallops. Shred and deep-fry until crisp, and put aside for garnish. If using red pepper, chop finely.

2. Remove lobster shells. Retain tails and clean. Set aside enough uncooked lobster meat required for stuffing, and dice it fairly finely. Chop remaining lobster meat into small square chunks.

3. Prepare cornstarch mixture, mixing well.

To cook: 1. For Portuguese sauce, heat butter over low flame, add flour, then rest of sauce ingredients. Cook into a paste, set aside.

2. For stuffing, saute ingredients in a little oil over low flame.

Add Portuguese sauce. Remove from heat and when cooled, stuff into lobster tail shells. Brush exposed stuffing with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs. 3. Heat until smoking, sufficient oil for deep-frying, lower flame, and immerse stuffed lobster tails (stuffing facing upwards) for 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove from wok.

(Alternatively, bake unbread-crumbed stuffed lobster tails in a hot oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until surfaces are dry. Brush with egg and coat with bread crumbs, bake again until golden.)

4. For lobster meat chunks, heat wok, add 4 to 5 cups of oil. When oil is at medium heat add lobster meat and blanch to seal in the juice. Remove lobster.

Clean and reheat wok with 1/2 cup oil, and stir-fry lobster with diced water chestnut (or celery) and cornstarch mixture for 1 minute.

To present:

1. Place stir-fried mixture in centre of platter, and sprinkle shredded dried scallops (or chopped red pepper) over.

2. Arrange lobster tails in a circle around it.

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